


Duty

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen, Pre-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7604731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gorim Saelac has been called to serve as second to one of the Aeducan children.  Truthfully, he's a little leery of his new role.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dwarven Dude Day over at @dwarfappreciationweek

The first two seconds of Lady Aeducan meet grisly ends that are shrouded in rumor and intrigue.  As much as it’s an honor to serve the Aeducan family, especially in his House, Gorim doesn’t have a death wish.  But when House Aeducan calls you to serve, it’s unwise to do anything but say yes.  

Gorim is ordered to the training ground reserved for the royal family, and he’s sure to get there early to make sure he doesn’t keep Lady Aeducan waiting.  He’s waiting just inside the training ground, standing at attention even though she’s not there yet.  

Unfortunately, the first Aeducan to appear is Prince Trian.  The young man was made heir less than a year ago, and tales of his rudeness have spread throughout the entirety of Orzammar.

“You’re clearly not servant caste, and you’re not an Aeducan, so you have no business being here,” Prince Trian says snidely.  He barely looks at Gorim, as if he’s not worth noticing.  Except to berate, of course.  

“I’m-”

“I did not ask you for your pitiful excuses,” Prince Trian says.  “If I want you to talk, you will know.”

Gorim stands there, not saying anything, but not moving, either.  He still has a duty to fulfil, no matter what Prince Trian says.  

“Trian!” A woman’s voice rings out from across the training ground.  “What are you doing?”

Prince Trian turns towards the voice, fists clenching.  “There is a warrior caste man in our training ground.  The lower castes are forgetting the natural order of things.”

The woman strides across the ground, clad in armor.  She looks younger than Gorim expected, but full of a confidence that marks her as an Aeducan.  This must be Lady Aeducan.  No one else so young would be so bold as to stare down Prince Trian the way she is.  

“I believe that this is my new second,” Lady Aeducan says.  Unlike her brother, she’s openly openly looking him up and down.  “Gorim Saelac?” 

“Yes, Lady Aeducan,” Gorim says, crossing his arms and bowing to demonstrate respect.  

“I asked him to meet me here,” Lady Aeducan says, turning to face Prince Trian.  “I want to see how well my new second can spar, and I assumed that you would object to me going to the warrior caste training ground.”

“I wasn’t informed of this,” Prince Trian says, crossing his arms and glaring at her.  

“I don’t inform you of everything I do.  Or most of the things, actually,” Lady Aeducan says.  “Both because I do a lot of things and because you’re not the head of the House.”

“Yet,” Prince Trian says.

“Will you leave us, Trian?” Lady Aeducan asks, sweetly.  “I have to see if Gorim is better with his sword than you are with your witty replies.”

“You’re why the lower castes are lacking respect these days,” Prince Trian says, turning on his heel as he storms out of the training ground.

Lady Aeducan watches him go, shaking her head.  “Trian wasn’t always such an ass.  It’s being heir, I think.”

Perhaps it’s no wonder than her first two seconds are dead.  There are no good ways to reply to that.

“Sorry,” she says, turning to face him.  “I’m Sereda Aeducan.  If I had known that Trian was going to come here to train, I would have picked a different time.”

“It’s my honor to serve, Lady Aeducan,” Gorim says.

“Right,” Lady Aeducan says, crossing her arms.  “If you don’t  _ want  _ to serve, you can say so now without any shame or dishonor.  Being my second means you’ll be running into Trian an awful lot, and I would understand if you’d rather not.”

Gorim clears his throat a little.  “That’s untrue, Lady Aeducan.”

Lady Aeducan tilts her head, examining him with piercing green eyes. “Hm?”

Now he’s stepped in the bronto shit, but there’s nothing else to do except smear the bronto shit around some more.  

“For a member of the warrior caste, to turn down House Aeducan is a shame in itself,” Gorim says carefully.  

Lady Aeducan blinks and there’s just the barest hint of a smile on her face.  “I hadn’t considered that.  So, you don’t really have a choice, do you?”

“It is still an honor,” Gorim says.  

“Then I’ll give you this warning, since you don’t have a choice.  My last two seconds are dead because they had loose lips and decided to take gold in return for gossip about me.  You can decide to follow their path and die, but if you’re loyal, I’ll try to always treat you with respect,” Lady Aeducan says softly.  She looks much more jaded than her sixteen years would suggest. 

Gorim’s eyes widen a little.  He hadn’t suspected that anyone would be so foolish as to sell Aeducan secrets.  That explains the deaths, at least.  

“I will be your loyal second, my lady,” Gorim says.  

“We’ll see,” Lady Aeducan says with a sigh.  “For now, let’s spar.”

“Yes, my lady,” Gorim says, picking up his sword and shield.  

“And if you attempt to go easy on me, whether because I’m a woman or because I’m an Aeducan or because I’m a year younger than you, you’ll feel it for a month,” Lady Aeducan says, drawing two swords.  “I’ll make sure of it.”

“I will do my best to knock you over, Lady Aeducan,” Gorim says.

Lady Aeducan laughs and leads him to the main part of the training ground.  “If you don’t sell my secrets to a rival House, we just might get along, Gorim.”

“I look forward to it,” Gorim says.


End file.
